Class, privilege, not just language, behind Bengaluru auto driver conflicts: Report
Bengaluru: Recent incidents involving auto drivers and passengers in Bengaluru have been generally reported as language conflicts between Kannada and Hindi speakers. However, anthropologist Usha Rao suggested that class and privilege, rather than mere linguistic differences, often lie at the heart of these tensions.
Many auto drivers in Bengaluru are either fluent in Hindi or able to communicate in basic Hindi, but Rao believes the city's rapid growth has led to widening language gaps, as reported by Deccan Herald on Monday.
Rao noted that the conflicts often stem from issues of class. As Bengaluru’s economic inequality grows, tensions between different groups intensify, with Kannada becoming a tool for auto drivers to assert their identity. She further added that the migration boom in Bengaluru has resulted in massive language gaps.
Kannada activist Ganesh Chetan argued that the insistence on speaking Hindi in everyday interactions can feel like an "outright provocation" to many Kannadigas. “It is seen more now, as Kannada activism has grown and become more assertive. When you go to live in France, you are expected to learn French, and we expect the same here," he was quoted as saying by the publication.
While an Instagram survey suggested that drivers charged higher fares to Hindi-speaking passengers, a dipstick survey by Deccan Herald revealed that they demand higher fares, but do not discriminate on the basis of language.
Many auto drivers stressed that respect, rather than language, is what truly matters in their interactions with passengers. One driver remarked that they simply expect basic courtesy, while another emphasised that, regardless of whether it’s Kannada or Hindi, “respect begets respect.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Pune journalist booked on voyeurism charge for filming woman at lodge
Pune (PTI): Police have registered a case of voyeurism against a television journalist in Pune for allegedly filming a woman in an objectionable position without her consent at a lodge in the city, officials said on Saturday.
The FIR was filed against Rohan Kadam under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 77 (voyeurism) and 3(5) (common intention) at the Vishrambaug police station here, while the complaint mentions that he was accompanied by three other journalists, they said.
The incident took place on April 8 when the accused had checked into a room at a lodge in Budhwar Peth, which houses a red light area.
In her complaint, the woman said that while she was wearing her saree after establishing "physical relations with a customer", she realised that an unidentified person was filming her through a net above the partition wall between the rooms.
She opened the door of her room and knocked on the adjacent door, asking the person to come out, the FIR said.
"The woman sought clarification from Kadam, who gave vague answers and refused to show his phone. When the lodge operator, the woman and others questioned him, he claimed that they were a group of four journalists conducting a sting operation," it said.
Police said Kadam was assaulted when he allegedly tried to flee from the spot.
The woman later approached the Vishrambaug police station and lodged a complaint.
"We have registered a case in this regard and further probe is on," a police officer said.
Meanwhile, the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) has written a letter to city Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar, seeking action against the journalist for the alleged act.
In the letter, the journalists' body said there were murmurs that some journalists and others were trying to ensure that no offence is registered in the matter.
"We do not agree with this and clarify that PUWJ will not come in the way of the probe," the letter stated.
